Panaji, January 30, 2016 …. Underlining the need to lay more thrust on promoting organic farming, Minister for Agriculture Shri Ramesh Tawadkar has stressed the need to undertake khajan farming which has been showing a decline in the state. He said, Khajan farming if taken up on scientific lines using modern technology will prove to be lucrative.

 The Agriculture Minister was speaking after laying foundation stone for proposed “Candalem Khajan Bund” at Chodan in Tiswadi taluka yesterday. The Minister said, even today most of the rural population depends on agriculture to sustain their livelihood. In this context he cited the example of Sikkim state, which he mentioned, emerged as one of the best states in the country promoting organic farming.

 Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, Shri Anant Shet,  Adhyaksha, North Goa Zilla Panchayat, Smt. Ankita Navelkar, ZP Member, Shri Shankar Chodankar, Sarpanch V. P. Chodan Madel, Smt. Ankita Bandodkar, Sarpanch, Mayem Panchayat, Smt. Neha Thanekar, Director, Agriculture Department, Shri Ulhas Pai Kakode,  Deputy Sarpanch, Shri Ulhas Dhuri,  graced the function.

         Addressing the gathering, Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Shri Anant Shet said, we have to revolutionize the agricultural sector and with the help of those involved in agriculture sector we can bring this change. He also said that, mechanized farming should be used for the agricultural revolution.

Earlier, local Panch Shri Shamba Kalangutkar, welcomed the guest Shri Mahesh Chodankar compered and Director of Agriculture, Shri Ulhas Pai Kakode proposed vote of thanks.

Panaji, January 30, 2016 … Chief Minister Shri Laxmikant Parsekar in presence of Minister for Panchayats, Shri Rajendra Arlekar recently inaugurated the Police Station building, at Pernem.

Speaking on the occasion the Chief Minister said, the Government will start special  Ladies Desk in each  police stations in order provide better service especially to female complainants.

Chief Minister informed that 300 new ladies police personnel will be deployed within six months in the state and recruitment process has already begun. After recruitment, he said, lady complainant will be attended by female PSI, s and Constables.

Shri Parsekar said the new premises will boost the efficiency of the police department and it will help the police to provide better service to the citizens, thus restoring their faith in the police department.

Earlier students of Bhagwati High School presented welcome song.

Director General of Police Shri T. N. Mohan welcome the guests.

Addressing the people Shri Rajendra Arlekar said that all required infrastructure has been made available for the smooth functioning of the Police Station.  He appealed to the police to give service with human touch to the people.

Shri Arlekar further stressed on the concept of Smart Police Station and said that, the police needs to be strict and sensitive at the same time, modern and mobile, alert and accountable. He said his vision is to convert Pernem Police Station into Smart Police Station imbibing modern technology.

IGP, Shri Sunil Garg, IGP (Range and Crime) Shri V. Renganathan, and Smt. Smita Kudtarkar, Chairperson Pernem Municipal Council graced the occasion.

Superintendent of Police, North, Shri Umesh Gaonkar, proposed vote of thanks.

panaji 30/01/2016 …  GFDC-Our Lady of the Rosary High School, Dona Paula got the better of Blessed Joseph Vaz HS, Sancoale 2-0 to win the Times Girls under-16 Soccer tournament, powered by Goa Football Development Council in association with Goa Football Association and Sports Authority of Goa at Tilak Maidan, Vasco, on Wednesday.

GFDC-Our Lady of the Rosary scored once in each session through Simran Fatarpekar and Somaaya Mukundan to dethrone the defending champions.

The winners clearly had the better team and were dominant all through the match. Blessed Joseph Vaz HS had an off day and were kept in the hunt by goalkeeper Swizel Carvalho, who was later adjudged the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

For GFDC-Our Lady of the Rosary, Somaaya was a constant threat, while Karishma Shirvoikar was also influential, walking away with the best player award.

Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar was the chief guest for the final while Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida was the guest of honour. Others present were Goa Football Development Council (GFDC) chairman Dr Rufino Monteiro, GFDC member secretary Aleixo da Costa, Mormugao Municipal Council chairperson Deepak Naik, Goa Football Association secretary Jason Monserratte, AIFF advisor Savio Messias, GFDC council member Shantaram Naik and GFA technical director Peter Valles.

January 29, 2016 … The Governor of Goa, Dr. (Smt.) Mridula Sinha who is a nominee of Prime Minister for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, of which sanitation is an important component, on seeing a news item and photograph in one of the english daily dated 27.01.2016, about contamination of  drinking water at  Caranzalem, near Raj Bhavan, immediately asked for the factual position from the concerned authorities.

Accordingly, Principal Chief Engineer, PWD Shri D. J. S. Borkar along with his Executive Engineer, met the Secretary to the Governor, Smt. Shilpa Shinde, and informed the position. According to Shri Borkar, when the problem came to notice on Saturday, 23^rd January, 2016, his Department plunged into action and disconnected the supply line, and provided  water to the residents in the area through tankers.

He informed that the old pipe line will not be used and instead, drinking water will be supplied to the residents through another existing new parallel line. According to him, the supply through the new line will be started within four days.

Panaji : January 29, 2016 …. Chief Minister Shri Laxmikant Parsekar recently distributed cheques of Rs. 7.49 crores to Goa University and 8 other colleges as grants under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) at a function held at Education Bhavan, Porvorim.

 Secretary (Education) Shri  Virendra Kumar also graced the occasion.

 The infrastructure grants were distributed to Goa University Rs. 4.16 crores and Rs. 41.66 lakhs each to St. Xaviers Colleges of Arts, Science amd Commerce Mapusa, Rosary College of Commerce and Arts, Navelim, Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Panaji, Goa College of Engineering, Ponda, Dnyanprasarak Mandal College of Arts, Mapusa, Bardez, S.S. Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Panaji, S.V. Sridora Caculo College of Commerce and Management, Mapusa and Cuncolim Education Society’s  College of Arts and Commerce, Cuncolim.

  The funds released today will be utilized for undertaking programmes for higher education such as Infrastructure, Research Innovation and Quality Improvement Equity Initiative, Faculty Recruitment Support, Vocationalisation, leadership Development of Educational Administrators, Capacity Building, Data Collection, Management Information System and Monitoring and Evaluation.

 RUSA has been launched by Government of India in 2012-13. The Goa Government has given its commitments to RUSA requirements in 2014. Subsequently, the institutions were requested to make their institutional Plans. The Directorate of Higher Education made State Plan and submitted to Government of India, who based on the plan sanctioned 20 crores to Goa University and Rs. 2 crores each to 8 Colleges in the first instance.

The Government College Quepem has been identified as Model Degree College with a grant of 4 crores which would be released on production of Detail Project Report. The first installment of these grants totaling to 4.5 crores was released to State Government. The Government of Goa has released its share of  1.33 crores to add up to Central Share.

The Chief Minister Shri Laxmikant Parsekar speaking on the occasion said with the benefit of RUSA, the higher educational institutions will be in position to initiate improvement and reforms, in their institutions. Although the educational institutions in Goa are sufficient considering the population ratio, the funds released under RUSA will bring in much needed advancement and improvement.

  The Chief Minister further said that the Project Approval Board of  RUSA has already approved 10 more Colleges for RUSA grants. The Central Share is yet to be received. The same is expected to be received before the close of the current fiscal year and once the Central Share is received, the State Share will be released to these ten institutions, he said.

 The Chief Minister said that Goa is the only State in the country, where more than 90% of the institutions are covered for the grants and Goa is the first State  to have been covered for grants to grant-in-aid colleges. In other states, only Government institutions are covered for grants, he said.

 Secretary (Education) Shri Virendra Kumar speaking on the occasion said the higher educational institutions in Goa will be in position, to impart quality education from these grants and commended their efforts on receiving the grants.

 Shri Bhaskar Nayak, Director, Higher Education welcomed.

Shri Srinivas Dhempo, member of Goa State Higher Education Council and management of Goa University and Colleges were present on the occasion.